Savory and sweets

How fast are you trying to lose weight? Many pick the 2 pounds (1kg) per week goal, when slower would be more achievable, and in some cases more health-promoting. That may not be true for you, but it's a consideration for some.

Can you satisfy your cravings with lower-calorie salty/savory or sweet foods, such as pickles, sauerkraut, lean meat, hard-boiled eggs, fruits?

How long have you been eating at reduced calories? The first couple of weeks can be an adaptation period, when cravings can be higher, may settle down as new habits are established.

Are the foods you do eat feeling filling for you? If not, consider experimenting with different food choices or timing of meals/snacks, to see if you can feel more satisfied. Different people find different eating routines filling. Some do better with relatively more protein, others with relatively more fats, some with high-volume low calorie foods such as veggies, some people find specific foods filling (whole potatoes, like a baked potato, is a common one, according to surveys).

How is your sleep? Fatigue can contribute to cravings, especially evening cravings. If sleep quality/quantity can be improved, that may help.

Along those lines, have you started a new exercise routine, alongside cutting down eating, as many people do? New exercise especially intense exercise, can trigger cravings. If that's a possibility, consider cutting back on exercise duration, frequency or intensity, then building it back up more gradually as fitness improves.

If there's any possibility that boredom or habit are part of the cravings - like if you're used to snacking in the evening while watching TV or something, consider a new or resumed hobby as a distraction, especially something that requires clean hands (needlework, sketching, playing a musical instrument, etc.), or creates dirty ones (painting, carpentry, gardening, etc.).

In some ways, successful weight loss is a process of identifying and solving problems, trying alternative solutions until something clicks.

Sending wishes that you can find a solution that fits you!

Good morning; I get sweet cravings so strong I swear they are physical cravings like the ones you get when you're thirsty, when you can feel it in your body, not just your mind.

I'm gluten-intolerant and I find that when I successfully eliminate it from my diet (some days are better than others) my sweet cravings virtually disappear. I dont know why, or if it will work for someone who isn't gluten intolerant, but maybe its worth a try?

Hi there, I completely understand this feeling, here's a solution that worked for me. I used to crave sugar after dinner for years, however one thing I did to break this habit is add a bit of fruit to each meal. Either Strawberries, blueberries, apples, cantaloupe. When someone eats pizza at lunch, most of the time, they don't want pizza for dinner. Same thing here, the simple sugars in fruit are good for you, and help reduce cravings for sugar later on in the day. Hope this helps.

Ever tried frozen grapes? Some say they taste like candy.